


Flare

by starvonnie



Series: Flare, Flicker, Fade [6]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Transformer Sparklings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 13:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10104071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starvonnie/pseuds/starvonnie
Summary: Megatron and Rodimus' space adventure has gone off without a hitch, until they discovered that Rodimus is expecting a little bundle of joy.





	

"No good-byes, no regrets, _no excuses_."  Rodimus crawled up the berth until he was straddling Megatron.  "I'm amending it."

Megatron put the data pad he was holding down on the berthside table.  It was clear that he wasn't going to get much writing done tonight, not that he minded.  A lap full of Rodimus was sure to be fun.  And it wasn't like they lacked the time.

"And why, pray tell, would you like to do that?"  Megatron took a lax hold of Rodimus' chin, ready to kiss him when he was done speaking.

"Well, I know that you didn't want to bond much because of... well, you didn't want to.  But now we're out in the middle of space with no one around for light-years so... no excuses.  Let's bond."  Rodimus let Megatron pull him in by the chin, but he was the one who hooked a hand behind his helm to hold him there, deepening the kiss.

Pulling away just enough to speak, Megatron murmured, "You always know how to romance me."

"What?  It's true."

Chuckling, Megatron said, "I suppose it is."

"... So?  You wanna?"

"I will do whatever you want, my Sun."

Rodimus beamed, spoiler flapping a little.  Letting out a little hum, he nuzzled into the crook of Megatron's neck.  "I'm just so happy to be out here with you.  No sneaking around or worrying, just... just us."

"Mm."  Megatron stroked Rodimus' spoiler and kept his always-present worry in check and out of his field.  Instead, he let his own happiness-- and he was happy to be here-- spread out to envelop his conjunx.  No reason to tarnish his good mood.  "Not tired of me yet?"  He smiled and kissed the top of his helm.

"That's my line," Rodimus said, fixing him with cheeky optics.

"How could I ever tire of you?"  Megatron lifted Rodimus chin, prompting him to bring their lips together again, and thrilled when he obliged him.  The sweet and tender kiss deepened as lust permeated Rodimus' field and tugged the same feeling from Megatron.  A loving lust that yearned to join more than just take pleasure.  The kind of lust Megatron didn't know he had been craving until it was there.

"I love you," Rodimus whispered when they paused for a moment.  "And I love that we get to do this again."  He sighed as he rested his forehelm on Megatron's, smiling when he felt his conjunx's ventilations tickle his face.  No more worrying about how many more times they got to do this.  Just enjoying the quiet with him. 

Megatron looked as though he was in a trance as he took a hold of Rodimus' helm, his optics fixated on his lips.  It wasn't his intention to take Rodimus' smile, but the long kiss he gave him robbed him of it nonetheless.

"I love you."  Black fingers brushed carefully over chest plating and settled over a racing sparkbeat.  The touch had Rodimus shivering and lifting up so his spark was closer to Megatron's face.  A caress up his spinal strut brought him as close as he could get while he was on his knees, and Megatron couldn't resist kissing over his Autobot symbol.  His plating rattled as though he were fighting the urge to let it slide open.  "Show me your spark."

Rodimus' throat flexed in Megatron's peripheries as he swallowed.  After a brief pause and deep ventilation, his chest bloomed and turned Megatron's plating white under its intensity.

Megatron's initial look of wonder turned into a look of horror.  His fear-filled optics found Rodimus.  "Close your chest."

"No excuses!  You sa--"

" _Close your chest!_ "

Rodimus ended up closing more from shock than anything.  What had he done to make him mad?  He was really confused when he then hugged him and kissed at his chest.  Had he had some bad energon or something? 

"What's your excuse now?" Rodimus asked, leaving the anger where it was.  The whole point of them leaving was so that they could have a normal relationship.  Well, normal for them.  Fleeing from the bots who wanted Megatron brought in.  So, only a few billion life forms.  Give or take.

"My beautiful Sun," was all Megatron would say between kisses. 

Was he high?  He clearly wasn't upset with him.  If anything Rodimus would describe him as _overjoyed_.  His field was giddy with static, but there was still that nagging worry there, too.

"What is wrong with you?"  Rodimus forcibly tugged his helm up from his frame, but then Megatron just kissed him on the lips.  He shoved him off.  "Will you just fragging tell me what's up with you?"  He swiped at his lips.  "You're acting really weird."

"Oh, Rodimus."  A flurry of emotions crossed Megatron's face.  He really did look like he was malfunctioning.  After looking at him for a few seconds, he went for his chest again, giving it more affection than Megatron had probably ever given anyone e _ver_.  Rodimus just sighed and let him do it, but his nagging curiosity was making his spoiler twitch.  It was only after Megatron murmured, "Thank you," into his chest that he just _had_ to know what he meant.

" _What is it_?"  Rodimus was basically yelling at him, and still Megatron wouldn't answer him.  This called for drastic measures.  The last time he had done this, Megatron had been avoiding him for days.  Excuse after excuse had been thrown his way for why they couldn't share a berth that night, or why he had no time to see Rodimus.  He had thought the worst, thought that Megatron didn't have feelings for him anymore, and confronted him when his need to know became too much. 

At first, Megatron denied that anything was wrong, and that he just wanted to recharge.  To which Rodimus had said that he could use some sleep too, and that he was already here.  Megatron had just looked at him, unable to think up a lie quick enough, and the truth spilled forth.  They were on borrowed time, this Rodimus knew.  But the guilt had gotten to Megatron.  He wanted to end things before he did anymore damage, but of course he should have known that their sparkbond had already pushed beyond the point of no return.  It wouldn't matter when Megatron left him; it would hurt just as much whether he left then or now.  Though Megatron didn't see it that way.

The spiral of guilt that Megatron took was one Rodimus was familiar with.  Thoughts of Nyon had sent him there many a time.  Thankfully, that meant he could help him, but only if he would listen to him.  He still wasn't sure what had given him the idea to do this, but he hooked his fingers under the lip of Megatron's helmet and yanked it off, exposing a plume of quills beneath it.  Megatron had looked the same as he did then.  Startled, but unhurt.  Rodimus was far more careful removing it this time.  It was only by sheer luck that he didn't do any damage the first time.

Hugging the helmet to his chest, and blocking Megatron's relentless kisses, Rodimus fixed Megatron with an unyielding stare.  " _What?_ "

Megatron reached up to touch where his forehelm ended and the quills began. 

" _What is it?_ "

The startled look faded back into the same warmth from before, though he seemed less entranced this time.  He cupped his face as his smile returned.  "You're sparked, Rodimus."  Megatron stroked his cheek as the knowledge opened Rodimus' optics wide.  "I saw them.  They're beautiful, Rodimus.  _You're_ beautiful.  And I'm going to take care of you.  I'm going to take care of you both.  As long as I'm around, nothing bad is going to happen to either of you." 

 _Sparked_.

When Megatron kissed him, Rodimus went through the motions, but he wasn't mentally present in the kiss.  His mind was blank and yet swimming with a million thoughts.  None that could be held onto for long, though.  He would reach and it would slip from his grasp and then was gone as though it had never existed to begin with.  He just kept staring forward, seeing Megatron's face and yet looking right through it. 

 _Sparked_.

"Are you alright?"  The worry bleeding from Megatron's field brought Rodimus back from wherever he had gone.

_Sparked!_

"I'm sparked."  It felt strange to be saying it aloud.  Like it wasn't real until the words had left his voicebox. 

"Yes, Rodimus."  Megatron rested his forehelm on his.  "We're going to be parents."

"Primus."  It felt like all the energon had drained from Rodimus' limbs as he fell forward onto Megatron.  He didn't have far to fall, but Megatron worried nonetheless.  Though Rodimus could hear little over the static filling his audials.  When he finally came to, he had only one thought on his mind.  "I'm so glad we're here."  His arms still felt weak, but he managed to hug Megatron.

"You won't be alone," Megatron murmured.  He held him tightly, drinking in his scent.  While this revelation was surely skewing his view, he swore that his Sun glowed even more brightly.  Like their little sparkling's light was seeping through the seams to bask them in their radiance.  And if they were Rodimus', they were sure to be just as bright.  He ducked down to plant a flurry of kisses to where they were, budding from Rodimus' spark.  "My little solar flare."

"Uh, Megatron?"  Rodimus' fingers worried a loose wire on Megatron's arm.

"What is it, my Sun?"  Megatron's warm optics lifted from Rodimus' chest, taking on a tinge of worry when he saw how flooded with the feeling Rodimus' were.  He calmed his own adopted worry and attempted to do the same with Rodimus' as he spread a feeling of calm through his field.  "Is something wrong?"

"Have you ever...?  I mean, I think I would know if you have but maybe I don't, so, um...  Were you ever?  Sparked?"  Rodimus' gaze flicked rapidly between Megatron's optics, unable to choose one to focus on.

"No."  Careful fingers found trembling finials and stroked, seeking to relax their owner, but the trembling became full on shakes.  "Talk to me."

"How are we going to do this?"  Rodimus gripped Megatron's shoulders hard.  "How do sparklings even work?  Like, are they just born?  Is there anything we need to do?"  All this shaking couldn't be good for them.  "Please tell me you know what to do.  You always know better than me."

"Shhhh..."  Tucking Rodimus' helm against him, he continued to stroke at his audial flares.  His other hand went to his spoiler, to calm him similarly.  "I don't know, but I know someone who can help us."

Megatron gently lifted Rodimus off of him and stood.  He offered his hand to Rodimus, who took it after a moment's hesitation, while his other arm still hugged his helmet.  He refused to relinquish it to him until they were both sat in front of the communications console.  A console that, until that moment, had remained off.  A moment of worry passed that perhaps it wouldn't work after all this time, but the screen came to life and the transmitter and receiver were functional.  Now they had to hope that they would receive them.

" _Heliacal_ transmitting to _Lost Light_."  Megatron took a hold of Rodimus' hand when he felt him shaking.  His worry seemed to double when they heard no answer, and the realization that Megatron had no idea how to deliver a sparkling settled on his processor.  "Please come in _Lost Light_."

"What do we do if they don't answer?"  Rodimus voiced Megatron's fears.

"Give them a chance."  The static-y crackle through the receiver did little to ease Megatron's worry.  He gripped Rodimus' hand too tightly, and his conjunx did the same.  He wouldn't have been surprised to see dents when they parted.  " _Heliacal_ to _Lost Light_ ," he repeated.  "Please respond."  He considered ripping the entire console out of the wall and flinging it across the room.  What good was it if it couldn't help them the one time they actually needed it?

His spoiler dipping low, Rodimus said quietly, "They're not gonna answer us."

As if to spite him, the screen finally came to life, and Megatron was speaking before Ultra Magnus could get a word in.  "Ultra Magnus, I--"  But get a word in, he would.

"What are you doing?" Ultra Magnus hissed through the line, as if staying quiet would make their frequency less detectable.  "You know how dangerous it is to contact us!"

"I know, but this is an emergency.  I need to speak to Ratchet.  It's important."  Megatron massaged Rodimus' palm with his thumb perhaps a little too hard.  He tried to convince himself that he was comforting Rodimus, but it was more for his own sake.  "We've already been on the line long enough for them to trace us anyways.  Just put me through!"

Ultra Magnus sighed.  "Very well."

After an anxiety-filled minute, Megatron finally heard Ratchet's grumble.  He'd never been happier to hear it.

"What the frag do you idiots want?"  Ratchet may have wanted to sound angry, but there was some fear in his voice.

Well, no use in mincing words.  "Rodimus is sparked."

Ratchet was silent for a moment.  "There must be some sort of weird feedback created by the distance, because it sounded like you just said that Rodimus is sparked."

"We don't need this right now, Ratchet, just tell us what to do!"  Megatron cradled Rodimus to him when he wormed his way under his arm.  He held him protectively, as though he thought Ratchet intended to do him harm.

Ratchet's gaze flicked between the two of them.  "This line isn't secure," he reminded them, as if they didn't know that.  "Just... I'll get the information to you.  Don't do anything stupid."  The feed cut out.

Rodimus stared at the screen, returned to static.  He looked up at Megatron when his grip bordered on painful.  Megatron's whole frame shook.  He looked _terrified_.

"I'm not even starting to show yet," Rodimus said, moving one of Megatron's hands over his belly.  "I think that means we've got time?  I don't know much about it, but-- where are you going?"  Megatron had stood suddenly, making a beeline for the bridge.

"I've no doubts that someone traced that transmission," Megatron explained.  He didn't look at Rodimus as he took them off their current course.  They'd spent weeks heading for this star system, knowing there were a couple of planets they could refuel on.  But they had to change course.  Make a calculated jump.  If they stayed here, or even near here, they would be caught. 

Rodimus took to the floor by Megatron's pedes, resting against his leg.  He needed to be in contact with him right then.  "Where are we going to go?"

"Somewhere near the _Lost Light_."

"Aren't they under constant surveillance?"  Rodimus hugged Megatron's leg.  He felt so foolish.  He hadn't thought about protection when they had merged.  Sparklings were rare even before the war.  And now that dumb decision could cost them everything.

"A few star systems away from them," Megatron said.  "If I were looking for us, and I was trying to get into my own mind, I would assume I would want to get as far away from them as possible."

All of those words jumbled in Rodimus' processor.  So he just hugged his leg tighter and trusted him.  He'd avoided death this long, so surely he knew a thing or two about escaping those that wanted him dead.

"I said I would take care of you."  Megatron steered with one hand.  The other came to rest atop Rodimus' helm.  "I meant what I said."

 

For weeks they skirted the galaxy where the _Lost Light_ was, and for weeks they worried.  They kept their processors lightly occupied.  Nothing that required too much attention.  Megatron neither read nor wrote, and Rodimus' gaming console was collecting dust.  They also didn't engage in any contact beyond a chaste kiss to the forehelm.  Anything else threatened to take their attention off of their scanners and communications.  Both which were thankfully and also horribly inactive.  If Ratchet were as uncaring as he liked to make others' believe, they might have worried that he had forgotten about them.

Presently, Megatron was fiddling with their communications.  Changing frequencies, adjusting the volume, driving Rodimus crazy.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he went over and straddled Megatron's lap, hugging him tightly.

"Rodimus, we--"

"Just a few minutes."  Rodimus hid his face in his neck.

"I'm sorry, Rodimus, but we need to be vigilant right now."

Rodimus gave Megatron a needy look as he was gently lifted off of him and put back on his pedes.  "But--"

"This is for their sake."  It was when Megatron rested his hand over Rodimus' spark chamber that he realized how touch starved he was.  They might as well have been back on the Lost Light under Magnus' stern optics.

"I don't think upsetting me is going to help them."  Rodimus took a hold of his hand before it could get to far, not that he could stop him if he was set on pulling away.

After giving the ever-blank screen a worried look, Megatron sighed and turned towards Rodimus.  "I know this is hard on you.  It's hard on me, too, my Sun."  He cupped his cheek, and smiled when Rodimus beamed and nuzzled into the touch.  "Is a few weeks of anguish not worth a lifetime of happiness?"

Rodimus made a small pained noise.  "I mean, when you put it like that... but," he took a half step closer, hugging Megatron's arm, "I miss you."

"I'm right here."

"No you're not.  You just sit here and check the feed."

"I'm doing this for us."

"I _know_ , I just..."  Rodimus hugged his arm tighter.

"I understand, Rodimus."  Gently, with an apology in his optics, Megatron pulled his arm back.  There was only a little resistance on Rodimus' end.  "And I promise once this is over I will give you all the attention you desire.  But right now we have to wait until we hear from Ratchet.  Okay?"

"Yeah.  Okay."  Rodimus tried to keep his spoiler from drooping, but he felt the halves brushing his elbows anyways.

Megatron gave him one more sympathetic look before turning back to the screen.

Rodimus stood there a moment more before resigning himself to take another nap.  He found himself taking a lot of naps lately.  At least it was a way to pass the time.  Maybe he'd dream about getting to cuddle with Megatron.  Or that Ratchet answered them.

He tucked himself under the covers so that he could still see Megatron.  Seeing him helped him get to sleep when his closeness couldn't.

"Love you," Rodimus whispered too quietly for him to hear then closed his optics.

Just as he was starting to go offline, the static gave way to a transmission.  Rodimus shot up, feeling wide awake, but he didn't see Ratchet, or anyone else, for that matter.  Just a black screen.  Without the static, though, which meant they were picking up some sort of signal.

Leaping from their berth and dragging a chair over, he asked, "Do you think it's Ratchet?"

"I don't know."  Megatron didn't look at him, but he offered him his hand.  It was something.

"Please let it be Ratchet," Rodimus whispered.  He'd meant to think it, but Megatron didn't seem too aware of his presence anyways, so he didn't think he'd noticed.

They both jumped when Ratchet's face suddenly flashed onto the screen.

"Ratchet!"  Megatron abandoned Rodimus' hand to grip the console, standing.  As though being closer to it would strengthen the connection.  "What do we need to do?"

"With the war being over there are a lot of sparklings popping up," Ratchet began, speaking as though he hadn't heard him. 

"What does that have to do with anything?" Megatron practically roared.  Rodimus was glad he could only see his face in profile right then.

"I know a lot of you have only been trained as field medics, and the rest of you might be rusty on the procedure, so I'm going to train you on how to advise those who are sparked, and how to deliver the sparkling once they've matured."

"It's a one-way feed," Rodimus murmured, a hand on Megatron's arm.  Thankfully, he sat down, but he still looked quite angry.

"As soon as the carrier knows they're sparked, get them doubling up their doses.  Most of the growing process involves the spark draining energy so that it can eventually split off from the parent's.  Also make sure that they don't consume _any_ engex.  The volatile energy can cause the sparkling to give out or detach prematurely."

"Write this down!" Rodimus ordered.  He groaned internally at the lack of engex.  Hopefully he could still enjoy sweetener.

"Right.  Yes.  Notes."  Megatron crossed the room faster than Rodimus had ever seen him move.  He tore through their berthside table drawers, flinging the contents onto the floor.  "Where is that damn data pad?"  He rushed over to the storage closet, not seeing the thing lying on top of the table.

Rodimus couldn't help but give a snort of laughter.  While Megatron was still frantically tearing their room apart, Rodimus walked over to the table and grabbed the data pad, jotting down what Ratchet was saying.

"Carriers should avoid strenuous activity during all points of carrying, but it is only once the protoform starts to develop that they should be resting more than moving." 

Noticing Rodimus, and hearing Ratchet, Megatron's optics went wide.  "Rodimus!  You shouldn't be standing!"

" _Relax_ ," Rodimus said.  "I feel fine."

"Sit down," Megatron ordered anyways, snatching the data pad.  "We don't want you to overexert yourself."

"I'm _fine_!"

"Sit!"  Megatron pushed Rodimus back to his chair and sat in his own.  "And keep quiet!  We need to listen to Ratchet."

Rodimus made a face like he'd smelled something foul, but he held his glossa.

"It becomes quite obvious once this happens," Ratchet went on, "as their abdomen will shift out to accommodate the mass.  Once that process begins, the carrier will no longer be able to transform until the sparkling is born."

" _Great_ ," Rodimus grumbled, slouching.

Without a word, though his displeased face spoke volumes, Megatron sat Rodimus up straight.  He gave him a stern look to rival Ultra Magnus, before turning back to the screen to continue taking notes like the nerd he was.

Ratchet looked about as bored as Rodimus was as he droned on.  "Provided the carrier is healthy, complications are rare.  Older bots are the most at risk, and there are potential risks during the gestation period if the carrier is much smaller than the sire.  Depending on whose genes the sparkling takes."

"Is this going to take much longer?" Rodimus whined.

A hand came down over Rodimus' chest.  A reminder as to why they were doing this.  Why they had to sit through what was essentially a boring lecture.  The reminder, however, made no difference, so Rodimus shoved Megatron's hand away with a huff.

"It's a good idea to make a note of some of the possible complications you could encounter, many of which without a medic's intervention can, unfortunately, not be prevented."  Would it be obvious that Ratchet was speaking mostly to them?  "In some very rare cases, even without the presence of engex, a spark can detach prematurely.  This is one of the few cases that cannot be fixed even with a medic.  Though, if the protoform has developed enough, the sparkling can sometimes be saved.

"A more common risk occurs when the carrier doesn't consume enough energon to keep both sparks online.  This is more likely to happen earlier on, and often without the carrier noticing."

Megatron suddenly pulled Rodimus close, dropping his helm to his chest.  He looked focused as he pressed his audial to him, and Rodimus gave a little annoyed ventilation but otherwise didn't complain.  After giving a sigh of relief, Megatron returned to listening and taking notes.

"Another more common, but easily treatable, risk is if the carrier's gestation tank isn't functioning properly.  It is best that you have this inspected long before the carrier reaches the gestation phase, though it's rare for younger mechs to have this issue."

Rodimus' hands went to his belly a moment before one of Megatron's did.  How long would it be before he should enter the gestation phase?  Without a proper check-up there would be no way for them to know just how far along he was.  Come to think of it, what were they going to do if either of them got hurt?  Most of the planets they were able to stop on hadn't even seen a Cybertronian, let alone knew how to repair them.

Rodimus gripped Megatron's hand hard.

"Now, to move on to the delivery."  Ratchet readjusted in his seat, giving an old man grunt.  "Once the protoform is fully developed, the sparkling will detach from the carrier's spark and travel down to implant in its new body.  The process can be quite painful, and painkillers can be prescribed to ease the carrier.  I also recommended an IV drip to ensure the carrier has enough energon as the sparkling will consume massive amounts of it as it detaches. 

"Once the spark is implanted in the protoform, the gestation tank will open, and the sparkling will emerge.  They should be connected to their carrier's feeding line as soon as possible and should stay that way for the next few hours.  You'll know they're done once they start to really fidget.  By then they should be in the clear.

"For the next year or so, the sparkling will feed from their carrier's half-processed energon, and eventually will be weaned off of it to regular energon.  Until that time, the carrier should continue their double doses of energon."

Rodimus worried his thumbs over the back of Megatron's hand.  "Do we have enough energon for this?"

"We'll worry about that later."

"Well, that's about it," Ratchet said, sounding quite tired.  "You can recommend to-be parents to pick up the book _Your Sparkling and You_ , but other than that there's not much to it."

Setting down the data pad, Megatron leaned back in the chair with a sigh, covering his face with his hand.

"Oh, and one last thing."

Megatron sat bolt upright again.

"If you're a sire?  Be nice to your carrier.  It's not a pleasant experience."

Rodimus nudged Megatron with his elbow, a smirk on his face.

"Good luck, kid."  Ratchet cut the feed.

"We should get you some energon," Megatron decided, standing.  He stooped down to kiss Rodimus' chest before he left.  "Our little solar flare must be thirsty."

"I just had a ration an hour ago," Rodimus pointed out, standing.  A move that had Megatron freaking out again.  "I'm _fine_ ," he insisted when his conjunx rushed back over, trying to get him to sit again.  "Primus, Megatron, are you going to be like this the whole time?"

"You're supposed to avoid strenuous activity!" Megatron fret.

Rodimus gave him an annoyed and sympathetic look.  "Standing?  _Walking_?  Are you so old that these count as 'strenuous' to you?"

Megatron sighed and dipped down to kiss his chest for the umpteenth time.  "I'm sorry, Rodimus, I just don't want anything to happen to them."  Kissing once more, he whispered, "Or to you."

"I'm not just going to sit on my aft for a year, or, however long it takes.  Frag, did Ratchet say how long this takes?"

"We don't even know how long it's been," Megatron pointed out.  "You could be much farther along than we know."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm not that close."  Stepping away from Megatron, Rodimus transformed and gave his engine a rev.  Megatron flinched as if the noise had scared him, but his hands reaching carefully for him told him he was just being overly cautious.  "See?  I can still transform.  Everything seems to be fine."  He transformed back to root mode.  "Ratchet said my frame already knows what to do."

"Please just go to berth?" Megatron practically begged.

"I'm not even that tired."  Rodimus squeaked when Megatron swept him off his pedes.  "Put me down!"

"If you won't go to berth, I'll just have to take you there myself."  Rodimus saw Megatron's smirk out of the corner of his optics.  "Though I'm sure you won't mind this method."

"So long as you join me," Rodimus said playfully, wrapping his arms around Megatron's neck as he lay him down.

At first it seemed like Megatron wasn't resisting him, as he stooped down to kiss his chest again, but then he removed Rodimus' hands from him.  "Once I get you some energon I will.  Just a half ration.  Which you _will_ drink."

Rodimus pouted as Megatron went to their stores.  "Seriously, though, are you going to be like this the whole time?  I already can't take it."

Megatron didn't say anything until he was walking back to the berth, glass in hand.  He sighed as he sat and handed it to his conjunx.  "We don't have a medic, Rodimus.  We have to make sure we do everything right so we don't encounter any complications."  His hand fell upon, of course, his chest again.  "You want to make sure our little solar flare is healthy, right?"

"Why couldn't you be the one to get knocked up?"  Rodimus crossed his arms.

Chuckling, Megatron leaned over to kiss Rodimus on the forehelm.  "I would gladly carry our child for us if I could."

"And then I would force you into berth and make you drink energon until you felt like you were going to burst."

"I would love having you doting on me."  Megatron rested his helm on Rodimus' lap, nuzzling against him.  "Just think of it like that.  I am at your beck and call."

"Hm."  Rodimus stroked his helm.  "Yeah, okay.  I guess that's pretty good.  In that case, can you get me some more sweetener?"

Megatron rolled his optics but sat up, taking the glass from him.

"What?  They must have gotten my affinity for sweet things."

"I am at your beck and call," Megatron repeated.  He left a kiss upon Rodimus' cheek.  "Your wish is my command."

 

** Bonus **

 

"What if I do something wrong?" Rodimus asked quietly, stroking the curve of his belly.  He already felt huge, and according to _Your Sparkling and You_ , he was only going to get bigger. 

"You won't," Megatron assured him, putting down said data pad (he read it at least once every day) and putting one of his hands over both of Rodimus'.  "Your frame already knows what to do."

"No, not that, I mean... after."  He sighed.  "I don't think I'm going to be a good parent."

Chuckling, Megatron stroked his belly.  "You commanded the _Lost Light_ for years.  I'm sure you can handle one sparkling."

"But that's different!  They're not, like, bound to me."

"Neither is little Flare."  Megatron gazed at the curve fondly. 

"I can do a lot of damage in a few years."  Rodimus' spoiler touched the berth.  "And what kind of life do we expect to give them on this ship?  There's not exactly space for another room."

"Hush, Rodimus."  He moved his hand up to stroke the gap in Rodimus' chest plating that was close to his spark.  Close to Flare.  "Stress isn't good for them.  And all of these problems are solvable.  We can worry about them later.  Alright?"

"But Megs--"

"You will make a great parent, Rodimus.  And remember, you will not be alone."  Megatron shifted until he could rest his forehelm on Rodimus'.  He ventilated deeply, encouraging Rodimus to do the same.  Once the speedster had calmed some, he added, "I will take care of you.  Both of you."

Rodimus took a deep ventilation and shuddered it out.  "Thank you.  I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'd manage."

"Still.  I'm glad you came on this adventure with me."

"I will follow you wherever you go."

Rodimus couldn't help but giggle as Megatron peppered kisses on his cheek and jaw. 


End file.
